The annual soirée toasts the year's nominees with a seated lunch that ends with a class photo. Gaga is nominated for the song "Till It Happens to You" from the documentary "The Hunting Ground."

At one point, newbie Oscars producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin took to the stage to share a few words. Hill gave a special shout out to Gaga for her performance of the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

Hill, a producer of several past Super Bowls, called Gaga's performance "the best rendition I have ever heard, and, trust me, I've heard a lot."

Gaga was certainly surprised by the unexpected praise. Her mouth dropped open when she heard her name and tears rolled down her cheeks as Hill gushed. She was was so overcome with emotion that she rested her face in her hands before taking a deep breath to regain her composure and wipe the tears from her face.

Also at the luncheon, academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs avoided the #OscarsSoWhite controversy – sort of. "We all know there's an elephant in the room – I have asked the elephant to leave," she said during her opening remarks.

Hill and Hudlin also announced a new procedure for acceptance speeches. Nominees have been asked to fill out cards with a list of all the people they'll want to thank if they win. Instead of having to rush through a litany of people, the names will be scrolled on a ticker at the bottom of television screens during the 45-second speeches.

"As you probably are aware and we don't want to embarrass anybody, but there is a long list of winners who have totally forgotten their directors, their husbands, their wives, their children and their animals," Hill said.

Hill suggested that screen grabs of the scroll will become keepsakes for those who are thanked. "It's a permanent record which could be kept, even framed and kept in the family forever," he said. "How cool is that!"